Innovative packaging systems with enhanced functions are constantly sought in response to consumer, producer, and government demands. So-called “intelligent” packaging can be thought of as packaging techniques capable of carrying out intelligent functions (e.g., detecting, sensing, recording, tracing, communicating, and applying scientific logic) to facilitate decision making, extending shelf life, enhancing safety, improving quality, providing information, and warning about possible problems. Intelligent packaging systems typically include internal or external sensors for monitoring external conditions (e.g., temperature) or indicator compounds (e.g., volatiles) associated with the packaged goods that can indicate a quality status. Such sensors can be linked to, for example, RFID-tags that communicate sensor information during the entire supply chain.
The quality of packaged goods can vary considerably during shelf life. Hence, passive wireless monitoring of such packaged goods during transportation and storage in a logistic chain is highly desirable. Monitoring quality during transport and storage in the production chain provides additional information for the enhanced prediction of product quality, while also providing important information for logistic control of the supply chain. Also, package-tampering events, illegal opening as well as other parameters such as, for example, temperature, pressure, humidity or chemical composition change endured by the packaged goods during shipment and storage, should be monitored.
Prior art package monitoring approaches have been implemented, which ensure the integrity of packages during shipment utilizing different types of sealing, so that a tamper event can be visually detected at the time of arrival. More advanced systems incorporate the use of, for example, “smart” RFID tags for recording the history of the package, tracking the time of a tamper event, and monitoring other parameters such as temperature, pressure or humidity endured by the package during shipment. Such approaches, however, address either small dimensional objects or do not suitably monitor the entire area of the package in order to allow the detection of any rupture with a specific size.
Other prior art monitoring approaches have been utilized, which include wireless monitoring of tampering events. Wireless components utilized in such scenarios are suitable to be employed within or associated with pallets and containers having large dimensions. Such systems, however, are not passive in nature and often require a battery for proper operation. Such an approach is not suitable for providing passive wireless monitoring of the structural integrity of the package and also the physical properties of the package content, particularly in the case of large dimensional packages and containers. Therefore, for widespread use of a smart packaging approach, a low cost and efficient solution is required. It is believed that such a solution should be based on passive sensors and battery-less RFID components, which are capable of providing wireless monitoring of the structural integrity of packages including large dimensional packages. Additionally, an improved technique and/or system are needed for monitoring various physical and chemical parameters of a package content. Such an improved “intelligent” packaging method and system is described in greater detail herein.